


feathers, leaves, and copper beads

by toast (aone)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-08-26 09:39:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16679158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aone/pseuds/toast
Summary: you wonder who he is. or rather,whathe is. son of noble, perhaps? a highly successful master of the arcane?hm… he looks far too young to be the latter.





	feathers, leaves, and copper beads

**Author's Note:**

> request:
> 
> "Hi! I love your work! Can I request a NCT Jungwoo fluff, preferably with him being shy??"

an invisible bell chimes as the door to the shop opens and closes, ringing in your ears for an extra second while you finish restocking bottles of firefruit cloves on a low shelf. you pop your head out to the side, catching a glimpse of the person who you hope is a customer looking to purchase something. today’s been really slow and getting in a few sales or barters by evening would be ideal. you brush the dust off of your clothes and stride confidently to the counter, easing a smile onto your lips as the stranger finally notices you, a bit startled.

“welcome to ahrin’s apothecary! as you can see, i’m not ahrin, the owner of the shop herself, but i’m just as familiar with the business as if it were the back of my hand,” you greet, absently admiring the man’s wine-colored hair. “how can i assist you today?”

“um... my name is jungwoo,” he stammers, and the name pricks the back of your mind. _jungwoo_ fiddles with his hands. “i’m here for a pickup?”

ah, that’s right.

you clap your hands and drop down into a crouch behind the counter, rummaging through the nooks and crannies of age-old wood, coughing up a storm when clouds of dust rise up to meet you. you might have sneezed out a puff of fire but the entire building’s been enchanted to withstand all kinds of elemental damage, so no harm done. you shoot up to your feet with a list.

“kim jungwoo… a slim order of gryphon feathers, lilymint leaves, and copper beads,” you look up at him for confirmation and he gives you a tiny, hesitant nod, “alright! just give me a few moments to get your things ready so you can be on your way. you look like you have somewhere to be today.”

jungwoo tilts his head in confusion then seems to remember what he’s wearing. opulent robes in lavish champagne-indigo dyes with twinkling gold thread sewn into magnificent patterns befitting royalty. you wonder who he is. or rather, _what_ he is. son of noble, perhaps? a highly successful master of the arcane?

hm… he looks far too young to be the latter.

“oh, no, it’s just… i just wanted to look nice today.”

he blushes and you smile. the pink tinge to his cheeks become him.

“hoping to catch someone’s eye?”

“n-not really?”

jungwoo reddens further and you laugh, waving a hand to show that you mean no harm. you round the counter and make a beeline for the cabinet near the curtained doorway to the back room, muttering an easy unlocking spell before twisting the knob open. you pluck a short bundle of feathers out of its holder.

“well, i don’t think you have to. you’re quite the handsome young man, a skilled alchemist too, judging by your order,” you say, grinning at him as you pass by, to the other end of the shop where the beads and leaves are kept. “that is, assuming these are for yourself and not your mentor, if you have one.”

he laughs, shy and quiet but absolutely melodious. oh, the poetry you could wax.

“it’s a personal order, yes. i study alchemy among other academics.”

“wonderful! you carry the air of a brilliant scholar!” you scoop up a handful of copper beads with a brown pouch and pull the strings tight. you turn to the tall rack next to you, mumbling about lilymint leaves and ahrin’s terrible way of organizing inventory.

“i’m not that brilliant…”

you grab a cylindrical container made of false jade and fix him with an odd stare before walking to the counter once more. you pull a drawer open.

“nonsense. scholars are all quite gifted in their own ways,” you say, shooting him a soft smile. he blinks. “if you haven’t found a penchant for a certain art or study yet, that doesn’t mean you won’t have one in the future. as near or far that future is from now.”

jungwoo’s eyes widen and you smile a little brighter.

grabbing a metallic cube the size of your thumbnail, you shake it like a die and roll it onto the counter where it expands into a small case. you pack the items in and slide it to him.

“did you happen to pay beforehand?”

“oh, no,” jungwoo says, hand slipping into a pocket and coming out with a stack of five olivine coins. “will this be enough?”

you blink rapidly in surprise and you look up at him, unbelieving.

“i’m not a hustler by any means, so i am going to tell you that you’re offering up more money than what your order is worth,” you say slowly, scratching your cheek. “it’s worth less than three of those, at least.”

“then… take it anyway. there hasn’t been much traffic today, has there?” jungwoo smiles when you raise your eyebrows. “please, take it. i enjoyed speaking with you.”

“even if most of it was me teasing you and you getting flustered and me conversing with myself under my breath as i gathered your items?”

his cheeks don a pink hue again and you laugh, light.

“well…” you eye the stack and purse your lips. “if you insist…”

“i do insist,” he says, setting the coins down by your fingers.

you level him with a playful stare but take them anyway, dropping them into a glass jar labeled _today’s earnings._ they ring when they join a low pile of silvers and crystal pellets.

“be careful. i might have to ask you to come back often if you’re going to be this cute _and_ generous.”

his smile broadens and brightens, much like a swelling star.

“be careful. i might just do that.”

jungwoo picks up the case in both hands. you cock your head.

“especially if it meant getting to take you out for dinner afterward.”

**Author's Note:**

> the request asked for shy jungwoo but like... i _had_ to include his flirtatious tendencies somehow askjdhks


End file.
